


Adventures in Babysitting

by Marasa



Category: Deadly Class (Comics), Deadly Class (TV)
Genre: Babysitting, Bisexuality, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Polyamory, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-29 01:52:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18297881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marasa/pseuds/Marasa
Summary: Of course he understood they might be nervous to not only take care of a one year old but also meet his mother, but honestly Billy didn’t think they would be this nervous.“Do you two need a pep talk or…?”Or Billy’s mother goes out of town, leaving Billy, Petra and Lex to babysit Billy’s younger brother.





	Adventures in Babysitting

They’re quiet. And that’s very unusual. 

Lex is always talking all the fucking time, and Petra is only roused from her usual silence to debate him. An hour long drive and one would expect them to be screaming by now but they’re eerily quiet here, not even saying a word once Billy parks the car outside of his house. 

Inside is Billy’s mother and his little brother. His father has been gone for at least a week and if it’s anything like his usual bouts of absence will be gone for another week at least. 

Thank God.

His mother had informed him over the phone yesterday that she had found work outside of town for two days and while she was ecstatic to go, worried that she wouldn’t be able to afford two days of daycare for his one year old brother. 

Billy assured her that it was no problem at all and that he’d be there to take care of the little guy over the weekend.

They needed the money. Danny did. 

Upon hearing that their boyfriend would be returning home for the entire weekend and why he would be there, Lex and Petra had voted to tag along in support.

Billy assured them that they didn’t have to go but they insisted, saying there was no way they would make him do this alone when he didn’t have to. 

Of course he understood they might be nervous to not only take care of a one year old but also meet his mother, but honestly Billy didn’t think they were  _ this  _ nervous.

“Do you two need a pep talk or…?”

Petra rolls her eyes. Lex shakes his head.

“If this is too much, you’re more than welcome to go.” Billy says this not maliciously but reassuringly, reminding him that there is indeed an out of they’re having second thoughts. “There’s a bus stop near here. It’s totally fine.”

“We’re not leaving you,” Petra snaps. “We’ve handled much harder shit and you know it.”

Billy smiles. There’s the girl he loves. 

“Thank you for coming,” he says sincerely to the both of them. “Really.”

Lex takes the opportunity to turn in the passenger’s seat, lean over the console and join their lips. It’s sweet, full of love. 

“We’ll be there whenever you need us,” Lex says. 

And Billy knows that’s true.

He knocks twice before opening the front door of his childhood home. His partners follow closely behind him, a little nervous.

“Mom?”

“In here!”

Billy’s mother stands in the kitchen with Danny in her arms. The child screeches excitedly when he spots his big brother.

“Hey, buddy!” 

Billy hurries over and scoops his brother up from his mother’s arms. He misses his family so much when he’s at school. Just seeing Danny again is enough to brighten Billy’s whole week.

But his mother is suddenly silent.

Billy looks up to see her warily watching the two people standing behind him.

Oh yeah.

“Mom,” Billy says carefully, “this is Petra and Lex. They’re from school.”

Her eyes flicker to Billy’s at the revelation. She goes to say something but then shakes her head and promptly walks out of the room. 

Billy blinks.

That was unexpected.

Petra and Lex stand awkwardly by the doorway like they’re not sure whether to go or not. 

They hadn’t really talked about it but this was the unofficial ‘meeting the parents’ deal. Billy would never get to meet Petra’s parents or Lex’s so this interaction holds a weight to it.

But it seems that they’ve been disapproved of.

Without a word, without even a proper introduction, Mrs. Bennett has decided that they’re not good enough for her son.

Both Petra and Lex try to seem mostly unaffected, and would genuinely be so if it was anyone else’s parent, but there’s the very faintest look of dejection reflected in their eyes. 

Billy wants to reassure them that yes, of course they deserve him. But he needs to fix this situation so he follows his mother around the corner.

“Mom, please, just listen-“

She turns on her heel outside of her bedroom door. Billy stops abruptly, Danny giving a surprised little coo.

“Billy, there are two uninvited strangers in my kitchen. One of them is dressed like it’s Halloween and the other looks like he’s been electrocuted,” Mrs. Bennett hisses quietly so their guests won’t hear. “And now you’re telling me they’re from that murder school?”

“Mom,” Billy pleads, “they’re like me- unaffiliated. They’re not at school because they’re in gang or anything. They’re there because they want to help the world. They’re only interested in getting rid of the bad guys. They’re, uh, like superheroes!”

“They don’t look like it, Billy.”

“That’s because you don’t know them yet.”

She still looks deeply uncertain.

“I wouldn’t have brought them anywhere near here if I didn’t trust them with my entire heart,” Billy says. “Danny will be the safest he’s ever been tonight. Trust me.”

And in his mother’s softening gaze, Billy can see an understanding there. She knows why he brought them. Maybe not the whole reason, that one little fact that he’s very much in love with them, but she knows that they’re here for additional protection against the threat that is Billy’s father.

Petra and Lex look up as the Bennetts enter the room again. They’re still a little unsure, like they expect their boyfriend’s mother to return with a fury and kick them out of her house. 

“Introduction, take two,” Billy says. “Mom- Lex, Petra.”

“You’ve got an accent,” Mrs. Bennett says in surprise after Lex introduces himself. 

“I’m from England, ma’am,” he says, more polite than Billy has ever heard him. The word honestly sounds kinda weird coming out of his mouth. 

“A long way from home,” she says.

Lex shrugs. “It’s all right.”

But it isn’t, not really, and as a mother, Mrs. Bennett recognizes that look of a troubled young man and she’s smiling softly at him in a reassuring way.

“And you’re Petra,” she says as she turns to the girl subconsciously wringing her fingers nervously. 

“Yes,” Petra says, then adds, “ma’am.”

“I’m sure these boys drive you crazy.”

Petra smirks lightly. “They definitely test my patience.”

Mrs. Bennett checks the clock over the stove and says she needs to get going now if she wants to miss traffic. She slings a packed duffle bag from the table over her shoulder and grabs a jacket. 

“I’m sorry for being so curt before,” Mrs. Bennett makes sure to say to their two guests before she leaves. “You both seem very nice.” Her eyes flicker to each of them. She trusts her son has informed them of their home situation, so she says, “Please, take care of yourselves, and take care of each other. I wouldn’t leave you if I knew you couldn’t handle it.”

Billy smiles, a feeling of relief falling over him. “Thank you, Mom.”

Mrs. Bennett gives her sons a hug and smiles at the pair standing nearby before leaving out the door. 

Billy’s deep exhale disrupts the following quiet. 

“That went okay,” he laughs. “Could have gone a little better, but everything’s good. Isn’t it, buddy?” The boy in Billy’s arms giggles. “Oh, you guys haven’t met Danny. This is Danny. Danny, say hi to Petra and Lex.”

Petra and Lex nod and wave awkwardly. Danny waves his fingers. Billy pats a hand against his little brother’s back. 

They go into the living room. There’s visible wear and tear on most of the furniture. The armrest of the sofa is ripped. There’s a hole in the wall the size of a meaty fist.

The Bennett boys seem unaffected by it as they sit on the carpet together.

“This one’s new,” Billy says as he picks up a children’s picture book off the floor. “‘Zoo Animals.’”

Every thick page of the book includes a patch of fake fur to stroke or a plastic snake skin to touch on top of the corresponding cartoon zoo animal. Danny touches every one of them but spends the longest on Mr. Lion. 

“Kinda looks like Lex,” Billy says with a snicker in reference to the jagged mane of the king of the jungle.

Danny follows his brother’s gaze. He reaches out a little hand toward the punk curiously. 

“No, I’m okay, mate,” Lex says. 

Petra gives him a long look. 

“What!? Ugh, all right, fine!”

Lex bends forward. A clumsy hand pats at his head of spikes before closing around one of them and pulling.

“Okay, okay,” Lex hisses, following the pull of his hand for his own sake. 

Danny makes an excited squeal.

Billy laughs. Petra actually smiles.

After the last page of the interactive book, Danny stands clumsily and begins walking, the three still sat on the floor watching him closely for an evidence he’s gonna book it out the door or fall.

“No more book?” Billy asks. 

Danny is focused as he fishes inside his basket of toys near the sofa. He carries his little stuffed animal octopus under his arm while he holds another book with the other. 

“There’s your favorite book!” Billy reaches out for it so he can read it to him but Danny doesn’t so much glance at him or at Lex as he marches past them to sit down next to Petra. 

Billy had told her on the way over here that she wasn’t obligated to do anything, that being there for him didn’t mean she had to do anything that made her uncomfortable.

He’s ready to swoop in if she gives him the slightest sign that it’s too much. 

Danny holds out the book to her with a little ‘Da,’ sound.

“Oh,” Petra says, taken a little off guard. “Sure.”

The boy leans against her as she reads. Petra’s voice is soothing, and although she doesn’t do any of the the silly voices Billy does, the child still seems to like it. 

He points to the spiky-furred wolf baking a cake on the page. 

“Yeah, really cool,” Petra says. “He kinda looks like Lex, too.”

Lex snarls. Danny laughs. 

Poor Petra reads aloud every book Danny hands her for the next fifteen minutes. Billy tries to give her a break and take a turn reading but Danny begins whining as soon as he touches the edge of the book.

“Let’s give Petra a break, little guy,” Billy tries.

Danny whines indignantly. 

“Good try,” Petra drones, “but I’m the superior reader.” 

Billy smirks. 

“Give it here.”

They both whip their heads in Lex’s direction. 

“I can read,” he spits and takes the book from Petra when she passes it over to him.

Yes, Lex can read, but he reads differently than Danny has ever heard. The boy laughs hysterically as Lex lilts over certain words and bends others. 

“Wot? Wot’s so funny?”

Danny falls over in an uncontrollable fit of giggles. 

“Your accent,” Petra says.

“Well, ‘s not that funny is it?” Lex sounds a hint self-conscious. “Is it?”

“Uh, yeah, no, um-“ Billy smiles, shrugs. “Not  _ that _ funny.”

Lex rolls his eyes.

Danny, done with making fun of Lex, makes a grunt as he signs ‘eat’.

“He’s getting hungry.” Billy stands, picks Danny up and sets him on his hip. “What’re we having for din din, little guy?”

The kitchen has that homey vibe to it. It’s comforting. The door to the backyard is a sliding glass door. Visible outside the lawn is overgrown and the swing set in the back is sun-bleached and leaning much too dangerously to be used.

The cupboards are mostly empty. There’s a box of cereal and a box of macaroni in the last one, the previous two home to a few pieces of Tupperware and a couple of cups.

Billy sighs. “Macaroni it is.”

“I can get him in the high chair while you get started,” Petra says.

Billy’s eyebrows shoot up. “Really? You sure it’s not a problem?”

Petra gives him a look. Billy hands Danny over to her. 

She looks initially a little unsure with a child on her hip but relaxes when Danny starts cooing and gently takes hold of the end of her hair.

“How can I help?” Lex asks as he leans against the counter next to where Billy stirs pasta in boiling water.

“I think I got it,” Billy says. “Been doing this all my life. I could probably do it with my eyes closed at this point.”

He laughs and it’s supposed to be a light comment but Lex doesn’t like the implication. He hates he had to pretty much provide for himself all his life. He loves that Billy’s so strong and resilient and not soured by life but optimistic. 

Lex threads two fingers through one of Billy’s belt loops and tugs lightly. Billy gives him a soft smile as he sways into him.

Danny is ecstatic to have a bowl of warm food in front of him. Billy wastes no time and begins feeding him tiny spoonfuls of macaroni. Petra and Lex are already done with theirs but Billy has yet to touch his dinner in favor of providing for his brother.

“Love, I’ve got it,” Lex assures softly as he slides his chair a little closer and holds out his hand for the plastic spoon. “You eat.”

“Are you sure?” Billy asks.

“Believe it or not, I’m capable of doing this much.”

Billy eats his own bowl of macaroni and watches Lex carefully feed Danny. Petra watches too, fondly maybe, and even gets up at one point to refill the boy’s sippy cup with water after he’s finished his juice. 

Billy’s so overcome with love for his partners in that moment that he nearly starts crying into his macaroni.

After dinner and when the sun begins to set, Billy helps his little brother change into whatever set of pajamas is available. 

“Ta-da!” he announces when his little brother, now in his dinosaur pajamas and with a pacifier in his mouth, toddles back into the living room. 

“Does he have a bedtime?” Petra asks. 

“Uh, not really. He just conks out when he conks out.” Billy looks down at his brother. “Gonna hang with us for a little while? Yeah!”

Danny flaps his arms excitedly, smiling around his pacifier. 

They watch TV while Danny plays on the living room floor. He’s pushing his fire truck back and forth on the rug before standing and depositing it in Lex’s lap.

Lex looks at the toy. He looks at Danny.

Any child would cower in the gaze of the spiky-haired punk clad in safety pins and tattoos, but the little boy claps happily and smiles. 

Lex’s eyes are on the television when Danny drops a stuffed animal puppy in his lap a minute later. 

“Another one, great,” he says, sounding a little exasperated this time. 

The child, at the age where repetition is engaging, proceeds to give every single one of his toys to Lex until the punk’s lap is covered in books, stuffed animals and blocks.

“Thank you,” Lex drones, his cheek in his hand propped up on the armrest of the couch, when Danny places another car on his leg. 

Petra and Billy watch from where they share the recliner across the room. They’re cuddled up and holding hands. They talk quietly every now and then but mostly watch the movie and lean against each other. 

Lex yawns.

The little boy tries to pull himself up on the couch. Lex gives him a hand. While the kid settles on the sofa, Lex carefully and discreetly pushes the toys off of his lap. Thankfully the kid doesn’t throw a fit at his numerous gifts hitting the floor. 

It’s eleven pm when Petra and Billy fall asleep. Danny hasn’t, however, and Lex waits for him to ‘conk out’ as it were so he can get some sleep himself. 

The movie is some kind of drama that features a dramatic actor slamming a door loudly at one point. Immediately at the sound, the little boy whimpers. He leans further against the punk’s side and fists a tiny hand in his denim jacket. 

Lex looks down at him. “What’s wrong?” 

Danny points vehemently toward the front door with a small cry.

“No,” Lex says, “your sad excuse for a father isn’t home. ‘s just the TV.”

But Danny doesn’t understand. 

The child’s anxiety is visible; he drops his pacifier out of his mouth so he can chew on his fingers, his  face contorted while panicked whines leave his lips.

“Hey, c’mon,” Lex says. “I said you were fine.”

Despite Lex’s reassurances, however, Danny begins to cry. 

He turns to Lex. He raises his arms. 

Lex can’t not pick him up.

The kid clings to the punk tightly and hides his face against his tattooed neck as he searches for comfort and safety from the one he has deemed, ‘protector.’

“All right, all right,” Lex tries softly, honestly unsure of what to do or say to fix this. “Everything’s okay, you’re safe. I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you.”

By the way Danny is behaving, Lex would think there was a monster clawing on the other side of the front door. 

Lex has to consciously ward off the feeling of fury building for Billy’s father because right now isn’t the time to get worked up over the piece of shit who hit children and gambled them away and hurt them. 

They’d deal with him later.

Lex grabs the remote and turns off the TV before the program has another chance to spook the child. He didn’t even know it had started raining but he can hear it now in the comfortable silence only interrupted by little sniffles. 

Danny peaks up from Lex’s neck to peer out the window behind them. His eyes are still red and his eyelashes are wet and stuck together but the rain outside distracts him from why he was crying in the first place. 

A white flash of lightning falls through the window. Danny’s eyes go wide. Lex finds himself smiling softly. 

“Jus’ a little lightning, sweetheart,” Lex assures.  “Shall we take a look?”

He stands carefully from the couch. The little boy clings tighter to him like Lex will let him down and leave him. 

Lex automatically begins a long and soft chain of quiet shushes and soft pats on the child’s back with his tattooed hand.

God, he was gonna kill Old Man Bennett himself. 

He walks them into the kitchen lit by the single lightbulb over the stove. The ball of orange reflects in the corner of the sliding back door. 

“Look,” Lex says as they stand in front of the window. “Just rain and lightning. Not scary.”

Danny turns his head on Lex’s shoulder to see. He blinks in consideration before mumbling with a point of his tiny finger, “Wa.”

Lex smiles. “Right, water.”

Thunder cracks. The boy jumps but remains looking out the window. Brave kid.

“A little loud, wasn’t it?” Lex says. “But not scary.”

“No,” Danny says, waving his hand as if agreeing. 

“No scary,” Lex affirms.

As they stay watching the rain, Lex finds himself humming quietly a song that had been playing on the radio earlier in the car. Danny’s fingers pick at the edge of the band patch sewed on his shoulder.

The clock above the stove reads close to midnight and the poor kid must be so tired. 

Lex looks down at the boy in his arms and notices his eyelids drooping every time he shifts on his feet. The punk begins gently rocking from side to side and sure enough, Danny is snoozing on his shoulder in less than a few minutes. 

He sees Petra in the reflection of the door before he hears her. She’s always so quiet, it’s almost scary. 

“Gonna have to put bells on you,” he says as she floats across the linoleum floor to him. “Gonna give me a heart attack one of these days.”

“And I’m going to have to give you a muzzle,” Petra says, “because you talk too much.”

Still a little groggy with sleep, she pecks his jaw chastely. He leans into her, turning from the rainy window to face her. 

Petra’s eyes drift to the sleeping child in her boyfriend’s arms. Her expression is complex with softness but also heartbreak and anger and everything Lex has been feeling. 

“It’s fucked up,” she whispers. 

“No kidding,” Lex says. 

“I didn’t know it was this bad.”

Lex shakes his head. “He never talked to us about his dad. Why didn’t he say anything?”

Petra opens her mouth, closes it. She gives an exasperated exhale before saying, “Maybe he didn’t want us to worry.”

Lex tilts his head back to look at the ceiling. He’s just feeling… frustrated. Billy and his family were suffering worse than he let on and for what? To protect the feelings of his boyfriend and girlfriend?

Fuck.

“Let’s get him to bed,” Petra says. “It’s late.”

They find what must be Danny’s room at the end of the hall, toys on the floor and the walls decorated in stickers and family pictures. 

Lex gently lays Danny down in his crib. Petra pulls his fuzzy blue blanket up under his chin. Thunder and rain rage on outside but the child does not wake.

Their fingers find each other’s during their walk down the hallway. Petra rests her head on Lex’s shoulder where they once again stand in the kitchen. Lex brings his head back down so he can nuzzle affectionately at his girlfriend’s cheek. 

“Petra,” Lex whispers, “we can’t leave him here.”

“Lex-“

“He’s in danger with that fucking brute around.”

She looks up at him. “And we do what? Take him to school?”

Lex sighs. He feels powerless. There’s nothing they can do to stop Billy’s dad. Except-

Lex’s expression turns to one of deep seriousness. Petra understands without him having to say a single word. 

“When?” she asks.

“As soon as we can,” he says.

“We have to talk to Billy.”

“He’ll agree. There’s no way he won’t.”

“We’ll see.” Lex goes to open his mouth again but Petra gives him a look that shuts him up. “It’s not our decision to make,” she says.

“We need to protect them,” Lex whispers. 

“And we will.” Her fingers lightly stroke his jaw. “No more thinking about it tonight, okay?”

The kiss that follows is filled with comfort and promise. 

Billy wakes slowly to the feeling of Petra’s fingertips lightly scratching the short hair at the side of his head. He blinks, looks around.

“Where’s-“

“Danny’s asleep in his room.” Petra’s hand drifts to the fluffy strip of green hair at the top of his head. “He’s okay.”

Billy hums, rubs his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Lex asks. 

“I’m sorry you had to take care of him.”

“He’s our family now too,” Lex says.

“We could use a family,” Petra murmurs. 

Billy looks up at her with a softness in his face that melts her heart. Lex kisses his knuckles. 

They borrow some of Billy’s pajamas and snuggle into bed with him. His childhood bedroom looks vaguely similar to how his room looks at King’s. There’s posters on the wall of movies and punk bands. 

They’re mostly ripped

Lex pulls Billy to his chest. Petra spoons him. He’s surrounded in love and protection and for tonight too, Billy feels the safest he’s ever had at home. 

“We love you,” Petra whispers against the back of his neck. 

Billy hums. “Love you too.”

Lex finds himself the last to fall asleep as he awaits the loud sound of an abusive father returning home but all he hears is the gentle fall of rain and roll of thunder like a lullaby. 

Petra sighs in her sleep. Billy’s fingers wind with hers where they rest against his stomach. 

They’d talk in the morning about all of this but for now Lex listens to the rain and holds his two loves close because right now everything was fine. 

He understands that this, this is their family now and as the storm rages on and his lovers sleep close to him, Lex goes to protect them with everything he has. 

Always. 


End file.
